Blazing Star (Liatris) Plant Types, Planting and Care in Detail

Liatris, also known as shining star or lucky feather, is a long blooming perennial wildflower. These flowers have very unusual flower heads with little star like flowers around a very long upright bottle brush tip.

The grass-like leaves are narrow and invisible, forming a basal cluster, but in autumn they take on an attractive bronze color. Blinding Star is adaptable to many hot and cold climates and requires full sun and well-drained, slightly acidic soil, but prefers drier winter conditions.

#Blazing Star (Liatris) Care
Here are the main care requirements of a growing blind star:

• Plant bright star shoots in the spring after the last frost date 12 to 15 centimeters apart and two to four centimeters deep.
• Place the bulbs in well-drained soil that is slightly acidic or neutral.
• Avoid planting in clay or over rich soil for best results.
• Place bright star plants in full sun.
• Water new plants or sprouts thoroughly, then water only in the hottest months.

#Light

Choose a spot with full sun to plant the bright star shoots. These are prairie plants in their natural habitat, so the more sun the better.

#Floor
Almost any soil, at any fertility level, will successfully grow flaming star shoots, although prompt drainage is essential to prevent rot. Very rich soil may require you to place the plants because the stems may be a little weak.

Blazing Star prefers slightly acidic to neutral soil pH. If your soil does not drain well, heavy clay can also cause root rot, especially in winter.

#Water
After planting, water the roots thoroughly. Corms do not need additional watering until the stems sprout. As the plants begin to actively grow, an inch of water per week during the hottest months will prevent wilting flowers and leaf wilting.

Apply water to the base of the plants or use drip irrigation to prevent the spread of fungal diseases. These plants need more water in the first year; After that, they tolerate drought and dry soil conditions well.


#Temperature and Humidity
Hardy in zones 3 to 9, flame star is quite tolerant of summer heat and humidity in hot climates and will survive very cold winters if the soil is not too wet. Wet winter soil can cause shoot rot.

#Fertilizer
Blazing Star is not a heavy feeder, but if the fertility of the soil is poor, you can apply a balanced flower fertilizer every spring when active growth begins. It usually does well without feeding in most decent soils however.

#Types of Flaming Stars
The most common garden species, L. spicata, is very often planted in its original form. Some of the varieties mentioned are popular, and there are several species of Liatris mentioned:

• 'Alba': In this plant type has pure white flowers and grows to about 18 inches tall.
• 'Callilepsis': This variety has the expected purple flowers on extra long stems that are ideal for cut flower arrangements.
• 'Kobold': This is a smaller, compact variety, with deep purple flower heads, but this variety succumbs to rust, as do all native New Zealand plants. Foreground of mixed perennial beds are most suitable places for this variety.
• 'Floristan White' and 'Floristan Violet': These varieties have beautiful 3-foot flower spikes that bloom in July and are known for an especially long flowering period.
• 'September Glory': In August and September it blooms with 4 foot purple spikes.
• L. aspera (Rough Flame Star): This species has purple flowers that grow 15 to 40 centimeters tall, depending on the location. It has less spectacular flowers, but it works well on dry, infertile soils.
• L. pycostachya (flaming prairie star or Kansas gayfeather): This plant blooms later, from August to September. It is available in white, purple or rose-purple flowers that grow on spikes that reach two to five feet in height.

#A Bright Blazing Star (Liatris) Plant Propagation
As the starburst matures, it usually develops offset roots. It is easy to propagate this plant by digging up the root shoots and dividing them. If you do this every few years, you will also help to rejuvenate the plants and extend the life of the bushes. Here's how:

• In the spring, when the new growth is just starting, use a spade or spade to build up the entire clump.
• Take a clump and divide into sections — ones with at least one thick shoot, and one 'eye' or bud in it.
• Discard any soft or completely dried shoots.
• Immediately plant the shoots in their new places, after carefully loosening the soil to a depth of at least five inches.
• Place the pieces at least 1 meter apart to ensure good air circulation. Corms can also be divided in the fall and then stored over the winter for spring planting.

#How to grow  Blazing Star (Liatris) Plant from seed

Blinding star can also be grown from seed, although patience is required as it takes two years or more for the first flowers. The seeds themselves take four to six weeks of cold stratification to germinate.
If you are starting seeds indoors, take these steps:

• Plant the seeds in small pots or starter cups filled with standard potting mix.
• Moisten the mixture, then plant the seeds in groups of three to five seeds, barely covering them with additional potting mix.
• Place the containers in a location that receives morning sun and where nighttime temperatures stay above 50 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Continue to moisten the planting mix until the seeds germinate, which usually takes two to four weeks.
• Keep the seedlings moist as they grow in a sunny spot until it's time to transplant them outdoors after all danger of frost has passed.
• Harden the seedlings before planting in the garden. New seedlings can receive protection from rabbits in the first year.

#Potting and Transplanting Blazing Star (Liatris)

Native perennials like fire star are not commonly grown in containers, but it is certainly possible. Any well draining container such as a good porous container pot mix.

Planting and care are identical to plants in the ground, but you will probably need to water more often, because potting soil dries out faster than garden soil.

To ensure winter survival, move the containers to a sheltered location as cold weather approaches. Some gardeners could place containers in a cold frame or a cold garage, fill them with mulch, or even bury the containers in the garden for the winter.

Do not try to bring a potted flaming star indoors to grow as a houseplant over the winter, as these plants need weeks of cold dormancy to return to spring growth.



#Blazing Star (Liatris) Plant Hibernation
The flaming star needs no special protection against winter’s cold in its hardiness range. A common pruning routine is to simply cut off the flower stems near ground level, although you can also leave the flower heads in place to feed birds during the winter.

Blinding star does not like wet winter soil, so avoid mulching over the tops of the plants in winter, as this can trap moisture and promote bulb rot. Make sure to clean up wet garden waste in the spring before new growth starts.


#Blazing Star (Liatris) Plant Common Pests and Plant Diseases
Blinding Star does not suffer from serious insect problems, but several fungal diseases can occur, including leaf spot, rust, stem rot, powdery mildew and verticillium wilt. Preventing these diseases means giving the plants good sunlight and air circulation.

Most fungal diseases on leafspears are entirely mild, and may not even require treatment. More serious diseases can sometimes be treated with fungicides, but severely affected plants may need to be removed and destroyed.

#How to get Blazing Star to bloom
#Flower months
Blinding star usually blooms from July to the end of autumn. Young plants sometimes do not flower in the first year or two until the root system is well established.

#What do Blazing Star (Liatris) Plant flowers look and smell like?
The pure species has bright purple flower spikes, but pink and white varieties are also available. Dried flowers can emit a faint vanilla scent, but Fresh Blaze Star has no scent

#How to encourage more flowers in Blazing Star (Liatris) Plant
The largest flowers produce the most impressive flowers. For better flowers, start with shoots about three inches or more in diameter. These structurally swollen portions of the dormant stem produce shoots followed by flowers about three months after spring planting.

If mature plants do not flower at all, this may be a problem with soil fertility. Try mixing a slow release fertilizer into the soil around the plants each spring. Also make sure the plant gets enough sunlight.

#Deadheading Blazing Star Flower
Death's Head Flaming Star can encourage a second bloom after the first bloom of the year. Do not suppress the flowers if you want the plants to reseed.

#Common Blazing Star (Liatris) problems
Liatris ( Blazing Star) is a hardy native wildflower that is pretty much hardy as a weed. When problems arise, it is often the result of too much care - too much soil fertility or too much water.

#The flower stems fall over
Blazing Star is a hardy plant, even if it grows in average or poor, loamy soil. In most cases, placing the plants in one piece is not necessary. Paradoxically, rich, fertile soils can cause the flower stems to overturn. In this case, you may need to put flower stems.

#The plants become mushy and break
Mushy plants that break at ground level indicate stem or root rot, which is caused by wet soil introducing fungal diseases into the roots or stems. Unfortunately, these plants must be removed. Future problems can often be avoided by reducing watering or improving soil drainage.


FAQs

#Where should I plant a flaming star?
Plant flaming star and wildflower meadows and cottage gardens. Their hardiness also makes them a welcome addition to rock gardens, where they mix with dianthus, penstemon, snowdrops in summer or crying babies.

#How many star plants should I plant in a group?
Bright star plants or bulbs should be split, not clustered. When planting scions or seedlings, space them about 12 to 15 inches apart so they have enough room to grow properly and have room to breathe as they mature.

#How fast will the mulled wine expand?
Flame Star spreads a little underground every year, but it is not known as a fast spreading plant.

#Is Flaming Star a good plant for wildlife gardens?
Yes, the blinding star is one of the best wildflowers for pet gardens. The plant attracts pollinators such as bees and various butterflies, including monarch, tiger swallowtail, clouded sulphur, orange sulphur, gray hair, Aphrodite's fluff, painted woman and red admiral. You will also probably enjoy the appearance of hummingbirds.